Living on a prayer

Once upon a time not so long ago:
Tommy used to work on the docks
union's been on strike

He's down on his luck - It's tough
so tough.
Gina works the diner all day
working for her man

She brings home her pay for love
for love.

She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got
'Cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.
We've got each other and that's a lot for love -
We'll give it a shot.

We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it
I swear - livin' on a prayer.

Tommy got his six string in hock.
Now he's holding in what he used to make it talk -
So tough
it's tough.
Gina dreams of running away
when she cries in the night
Tommy whispers: Baby
it's okay
someday.

We've got to hold on to what we've got . . .
We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer
. . .

We've got to hold on ready or not

You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer
. . .
We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer
. . .
We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer
. . .

That song is like a theme song to me and a friend of mine. I have this friend that I met sometime ago, we were so much alike, we even have similar name. Let call her I. We were so alike that some people mistook us for a twin. We have the same laugh and we like the same thing. The funny part is our lives almost identical to each other. We got married almost the same time, she is married to her Uni sweetheart although according to her, he is not her soul mate-her soul mate dumped her after 2 months of going out(see I told you we have the same story!!) She is still carzy about her ex(which i cannot understand why-he is not a good looking guy at all) but then beauty is in the eye of the be holder, right? We have 3 kids, girl, boy and girl. Her son is a ADHD, so we relate so much on each other.

My relationship with I is special, we hardly met after that short time that we were thrown togtehr by our sponsor, but we kept in touch electronically-we emailed each other on daily basis and she is the only friend that I do not want to share with anybody not even Amli- I guess I kindda need someone that I can be honest with and can give me a very open opinion when it come to my relationship as she does not know amli and can be on my side all the time :)

And, why living on the prayer is our theme song, let me tell you why. Last year about the same time that Amli decided to be full time insurance agent, I's husband also decided to open his own business. I was not very thrilled, but at the same time, she does not want to become the typical wife that would not support the husband. She emailed me and voiced out her concern- I told her about Amli and she asked me about it? Was I happy with Amli's decision, and what is my reaction to that. I told her that I'm ok with it because Amli was not happy with his previous job and it drove us crazy because he was forever in a bad mood.

With her, it was a different reason, he husband wanted to give the best to the famliy and he was sick of being 'just enough'-he wanted more and he wanted to be rich-which is a noble intention but the way to get there is not bed of roses.

Now, they are having a hard time-which I can totally understand. She contacted me last week and she was in tears- she told me that they only have RM5.00 between them and it is another 2 weeks before her salary. Apparently for the past 1 year they were leaving on her pay cheque and she just had enough of that. According to her, things were really bad after the election, no job for her husband and no job means no money.

She said that at the moment she is considering asking for a divorce. To say that i was surprised was so underestimated. I totally get her at that time. Marriage is a very hard work and it makes it harder when money is not there. and who ever says that money is not important is in denial.

I asked her have she think about it and she told me that she is having the same thought for the past 6 months, the only thing that stopped her form going thru with the idea is 6 pairs of eyes. She said it's tough bring kids in her current situation but it will be harder if they were divorce.

I asked her have she talk about her feeling with her husband, and she said NO. Her husband is a very typical Malay perasan macho guy(her words not mine). He is so proud that he just refused to listen to her. He still have this belief that 1 day he will make it and he will give all to her. which is good at times but sometimes she wish that he concentrate more on today than tomorrow and he kept singing Living on a prayer to her-'it doesn't matter if we make it or not-we got each other and that's a lot for love'-and when that happens she felt like screaming to him that love cannot buy baby formula, love cannot buy baju raya for the kids and love cannot buy petrol for the car!!!!

Like I said earlier, her story is so like mine-we had our hard share in life too, but the only different bewteen hers and mine is that, amli and I talk. When I was sad I let him know-he knows when I was really down and likewise. we have each other to back us up.

We are also living on a prayer but we always belief that we are half way there and one day we will make it thru and I, i believe that you too are almost there and one day we are going to look back at this day and laugh our hearts out.

Hang in there baby, and you can always count on me.